'Singgit Cebu' hosts, staff file suit vs. GMA-7

The hosts and staff of the defunct local television show, "Singgit Cebu," yesterday filed a case against the management of GMA-7 network before the National Labor Relations Commission.

Hosts Lucia Lou Dayoc, Jerry Jaqulabon, Carlo Flores and Mafe Castillo, and associate producer Gemini Tolentino and set designer Nathaniel Nuevas accused the TV network of dismissing them without due notice and of non-payment of their holiday pay, 13th month pay, service incentive leave, allowances, separation pay and monthly wages.

The complainants also asked for financial, emotional and moral damages from the network.

"What was really disheartening was not that 'Singgit Cebu' has come to an end but it was how it ended," Dayoc said

Dayoc said that last September 27, the network's talents received the news of their dismissal through phone calls made by executive producer Lily Yap. During that evening, Dayoc was informed about the show's cancellation and dismissal of most of the members of "Singgit Cebu" family.

"I felt that the new management in Cebu did not exercise professionalism in informing everyone involved. This has caused me to lose all the confidence I had left for them," she said.

Until now, Dayoc said they are still waiting for the executive producer and GMA-7 Cebu station manager Anna Marie Tan to answer the issue.

Prior to the filing of the case, Dayoc wrote about the issue in her column in The Freeman on October 25.